Artificial leather and process of making the same.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

LOUIS VICTOR GUILLETEAU-CHAPUT, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

ARTIFICIAL LEATHER AND PROCESS OF MAKING THE SAME.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS VICTOR GUILLE- TEAU-CHAPUT, citizen of the French Republic, residing at Paris, Department of the Seine, France, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Artificial Leather and Processes of Making the Same, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention has for its object to provide an artificial leather which will be very tough and will possess a relatively high tensile strength whereby the artificial leather may be employed as a satisfactory substitute for natural leather, it being particularly adapted for use in the manufac--- ture of transmission belts and as a material for making the outer coverings or casings of pneumatic vehicle tires.

The artificial leather according to the present invention consists essentially of a fiber combined by an agglomerant which will give it practically the same characteristics as natural leather.

It is also an object of my invention to provide a process whereby artificial leather possessing the characteristics above described may be manufactured.

A good artificial leather for belts may be obtained in the following manner: 72 liters of Water are maintained at a temperature of 95 C. and 0 k. 500 of bal ta um in solution in toluene and 1 k. 800 of dextrin are added thereto. When the substances have bgen digsolved, the following mixture is iidde or inar cerin 4.500 ilos, sor iu n silicate 0.070 k1los, elatin 18.130 kilos. The so ium silicate is pre erably employed for the purpose of rendering the dextrin surplus insoluble. The sodium silicate covers all dextrin not combined with the gelatin, and after drying, such surplus dextrin is inclosed in an insoluble shell that protects it against the action of water, as sodium silicate and potassium silicate become practically insoluble in water after their solution has been evaporated to a degree of siccity. The use of dextrin in connection with gelatin forms mipin, tyrosin and coriin, which are the agglomerating elements of natural leather, whereas without the use of dextrin, gelatin would remain an inert substance.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 7, 1909.

Application filed April 5, 1907. Serial No. 366,617.

When this mixture has dissolved, the whole is placed in a kneading machine heated by steam and containing 3 kilos of gamiefiber. After a sufliciently protracted kneading for producing an intimate mixture, the product is poured into molds of appropriate dimensions which are coated with oil in order to avoid the adhesion of the product. The molds are then placed in a ventilated stove heated to 80 C. the progress of the drying being watched to see that no blistering of the material takes place. When the product presents a firm consistency, the plates are withdrawn from the molds and the drying in the stove is continued until the plates resist the impression of the fingers; the drying is then completed in the open air. The plates are then passed several times through presses heated to 100 C. The pressure is increased at each pass, as is also the duration of the operation. The following figures are given by way of example: first passage, 50 tons, duration 5 minutes, second passage, 7 5 tons, duration 5 minutes, third passage, 100 tons, duration 10 minutes, fourth passage 150 tons, duration 15 min utes. It is advisable to coat the metal surfaces of the presses with a fatty substance in order to avoid adhesion of the product. The plates are then cooled and smoothed if necessary and then passed several times through presses heated to 100 C. The pressure may attain as much as 300 tons, the press being 40 X 50 centimeters. The operation is completed by a passage lasting 20 minutes in a bath of formic aldehyde and the plates are then dried an raine for three days.

A stronger product than the foregoing may be obtained by increasing the proportion of balata indicated above. To the initial solution, a solution of 12.5 kilos of balata gum in toluene is added, and the whole is poured into a kneading machine containing 3 kilograms of ramie fiber. The other operations are the same, except as regards the stoving which is carried out in a recuperating stove in order to avoid loss of toluene. The pressures after stoving may attain 300 tons.

The composition of an artificial leather Examiner particularly adapted for the manufacture of outer covers of pneumatic tires is as fol- The essential characteristic of the artificial leather is that textile fibers, preferably ramie, and the complex agglomerant described above, enter into its composition.

Dextrin when mixed with gelatin under the conditions hereinbefore stated gives mucin', tyrosin and 'coriin which are the agglomerating elements of natural leather. The sodium silicate renders insoluble any excess of dextrin which is not combined with the gelatin in forming the agglomerating elements just mentioned.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:

1. A process of manufacturing artificial leather consisting in mixing balata gum and dextrin with glycerin, sodium silicate and gelatin, adding a suitable proportion of fiber to the mixture, and kneading and molding the mixture.

2. A process of manufacturing artificial leather and similar compositions consisting in mixing balata gum and dextrin in solution with glycerin and gelatin, kneadnig and molding the mixture, and subjecting the composition thus molded to pressure.

3. A process of manufacturing artificial 7 leather and similar compositions consisting i (tam in mixing balata gum and dextrin with glycerin and gelatin, supplying a suitable proportion of fiber to the mixture, kneading and molding the mixture to form sheets, passing the sheets thus molded through a press, and finally passing 'the sheets through a bath of formic aldehyde.

4. A and similar compositions consisting in mixing balata gum in solution in toluene and Water with dextrin, addin thereto a mixture of glycerin, sodium silicate and gelatin, combining with the mixture a fiber, kneading the mass to thoroughly incorporate the fiber therein, molding the mass into appropriate forms, drying the forms, passing the forms through a process, and finall ting the for1ns t o a batlrof.formigaldehyde 5. Afiddess of manufacturing artificial leather and similar compositions which consists in forming a mixture of fiber, dextrin and gelatin, kneading and molding the mixprocess of. making artificial leather.

ture and then rendering the gelatin insol= LOUIS VICTOR GUILIJETEAU-OHAPUT.

Witnesses EMILE KLo'rz, MAUDE RIVAUD.

' J/W z %%/7ZWT/ZMZ a??? 

